Tree removal permit rules in Horry County, SC — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
It is unlawful in Horry County to remove a Specimen Live Oak with a trunk 24 inches DBH or greater without authorization. Removal generally needs a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals, and mitigation (replacement trees or a fee in lieu) applies.
Under the Horry County Zoning Ordinance (Appendix B, Article V, Section 505(B) Live Oak Standards), it is unlawful to injure, participate in, authorize, or cause the removal of any Specimen Live Oak with a DBH of twenty-four (24) inches or greater. Authorization normally comes from a variance granted by the Zoning Board of Appeals on findings such as a safety hazard, an agency requirement (parking, ingress/egress, stormwater), good urban-forestry justification, a grade cut, or significantly impaired reasonable use. The Zoning Administrator may authorize removal without a variance only if a certified arborist certifies the tree is diseased or dying and untreatable. The standards apply to any property, including single-family residential. These rules protect Specimen Live Oaks specifically; other private trees
Removing a Specimen Live Oak without a variance or zoning compliance triggers mitigation under § 505(E): replacement trees whose total caliper equals the DBH removed, or a fee in lieu of $150 per replacement tree, doubled for protected and specimen
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See how Horry County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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